No Way Home
by Dbzfan96
Summary: Trunks returns to the future to discover that he has returned to a world that has differed greatly from his own. Lost, no answers and unable to find a way home to his future he must make sense of this strange new world.
1. Prologue

No Way Home

Summary: Trunks returns to the future to discover that he has returned to a world that has differed greatly from his own. Lost no answers and unable to find a way home to his future he must make sense of this strange new world.

Disclaimer: Don't own Dbz and it's characters. Just making a bit of reading.

This is my first attempt at a Fanfiction, I'm not a hundred percent sure where I'm gonna go with it or how long it will be but I would very much hope you will enjoy it.

The pairing will of course be Trunks/18 and while I'm not sure where I'm going if people would like to submit their thoughts and opinions I would be honored if you'd spare the time. Though I must point out that at this point the likely hood of ever making a trip to new Namek is 0.

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Trunks stood on the lawn of Capsule Corp, surrounded by the people who until a month ago had been legends he had grown up on, tales of his mother's. Now they were his friends and he knew they would die for him as he would for them. Even if, by some unforseen happening, he couldn't free the future, he was glad he had come back purely to meet the these people, they had given him a feeling of warmth and content that even with his ever loving mother he had been unable to find in his own time.

Trunks smiled at each of his friends in turn. Krillin smiled back, the short bald fighter really had a heart of gold, he'd seen humanity in the androids and nearly ruined all by doing so but Trunks couldn't feel angry at him, it was just who he was. Yamcha had taken up a role of an uncle figure, this had surprised, Trunks particularly after the frosty reception he had given him on his first appearances, he never thought his mother's former lover would accept the son of her new one. While Tien may not have come to his send off, Trunks no less appreciated him than the others, from what he'd heard he had been the one to look after him when Cell had attacked and killed him on his return to the fight.

Trunks looked to Gohan, they had shared a strange relationship since he had first returned to the past. Gohan had always been the one who had advised and taught him how to fight and how to be a better man, at least in his time. However on returning to the past their relationship had become a mirror of the relationship he had known. It had felt weird to be the one answering Gohan's questions and giving him the reassurances he had always sought from his master.

Gohan had seemed like a different person to the one Trunks had known. The boy Gohan was almost a carbon copy of Goku, where as the man he had known had been a haggard man but he was an indomitable warrior, this Gohan had never been a warrior, even while fighting Cell he'd sued for peace before unleashing his true powers. Trunks had seen flashes of the boy Gohan in his master but usually it had been on the rare occasions he had talked about his father. Gohan had worshiped his father. Worshiped him to the point that he couldn't see by just how far he had surpassed his father's strength. Perhaps that had been the main reason he hadn't been able to reach the same powers as the Gohan in front of him. When you can't see how strong you've become how can you possibly move forward? They both shared the inability to see when they had surpassed their father. They were the same person after all so they were bound to share similar triggers and thought processes.

Trunks had realized this when Gohan had gained all that power when fighting Cell. he had carried himself just like his former master had, with a self assurance seeping through his very being. It had been refreshing to him, to finally see the connection between the man he knew and the boy that saved them. However when looking at Gohan now he still held himself the same manner of self assurance, but the Gohan Trunks could remember never seemed to be comfortable when he wasn't fighting, it had been like fighting was his escape from the world that had been destroyed. He even seemed more comfortable fighting the Androids than when he'd been visiting Trunks and his mother. Perhaps it had been guilt hanging over him that made him so uncomfortable; the guilt of being the only survivor of the legendary Z fighters, the guilt of all the people that had died, and the guilt of not being strong enough to stop it.

The two half-saiyans shared a smile, they were the descendants of the two greatest fighters the saiyan race had every produced, they shared a special bond, just like their father's they were the only two of their kind and had the abilities of immense power, even if Trunks was an ant compared to Gohan. While their fathers shared a bond of hatred and rivalry he and Gohan shared a bond of love and friendship. No matter the differences between the two timelines, Gohan was Gohan.

Turning once again he sent a quick nod to his father, they had already said their goodbyes with a short conversation last night. Vegeta hadn't really said goodbye he'd just gave his son advice, or at least that was the best way of describing what he had been saying. Expressing his disappointment was another. He had told Trunks 'A saiyan is only a saiyan if he continues to push his limits and get stronger, your only goal should be to surpass Gohan, if you don't you have failed, strength is all that matters in this world.' His father then went on to explain in his words why he and the future Gohan had been 'defeated by the tin cans.' He had sneered quite a bit at Trunks 'You lacked the pride to gain the strength to defeat those who claimed to be better than you.'

His next words hurt a little bit 'Even Kakarot had the pride to refuse to be bettered, he may be more ready to admit a man who is stronger but he never accepts it. You and Gohan are no saiyans, not until you find a saiyan's will to be the best.'

Trunks had been left to consider the words overnight and had taken them to heart, he would train no matter how strong he was or how strong he thought he could be, he would always try to get better. He knew he had to at least get as strong as Gohan, he didn't know how but he'd do it.

Last but not least he looked to his mother. Despite not actually being his mother she had taken him as hers the moment she had known who he was. It had been strangely comforting that he had her help through this enormously difficult task. Despite her love, this version of Bulma would never be his mother. She didn't know the little things that made the Bulma in the future his mother. His mother knew when he was lying and why, whether he was ashamed, embarrassed, scared or trying to protect her, she always knew why. She knew how to make him smile when he didn't want to and could adapt this technique for any situation. She was the one who would care for him when he was Ill, or when he'd fought the androids. This Bulma could never know that as she had not raised him and cared for him growing up, she was mother to the boy in her arms, he would be the one she would learn those things about and this Trunks would never be him, he would grow up differently and as such never become as dented inside as he had been before his first meeting with Goku.

'Oh Trunks take care of yourself. Go get those androids!' Gushed Bulma.

'Don't worry mom, I will. Those androids won't know what hit them.' Trunks smiled. He had always called her mom as he never really knew what else to call her, it would feel strange to call her anything else.

'I wish you didn't have to go.' She said there was almost a pleading note to her voice, she knew she shouldn't want him to stay but Trunks could tell she really had grown to love him just as much as her infant son, he supposed she didn't really differentiate between the two like he did after all they were both biologically identical.

'I know mom but I can't abandon my mother. I know you are my mother, but she's the mother who raised me I couldn't leave her to die, just as much as I couldn't leave you.' Trunks felt she'd understand that, even if it had been garbled.

'I know Trunks and I wasn't asking you to, you belong in that world not here, I'm just gonna miss you.' She smiled at him.

The smile she gave him was so like the smile his mother had always given him, and for a moment he could imagine staying in the past and living his life with these people, he'd be able to train with Gohan and his father and they could go to amazing heights and live in a world of peace and harmony. But he knew he had a duty to return to the future and his world.

'I'll miss you too, and everyone else. But I'm gonna have to leave you now.' He said, the air of sadness over his mother now was worse than when Goku had died, how had he managed to make things sadder than when the greatest man ever had died he couldn't say but somehow he'd managed it. 'Besides if I wait too long I might lose my nerve to leave.'

The joke went down like a lead balloon, _'well it was a good try at lifting the mood'_ He thought sourly as he climbed into his time machine. His mother looked on determined to be happy. Everyone else was waving and shouting, everyone but his father. His father had the same air of uninterested boredom he had had whenever there hadn't been fighting going on. He truly was obsessed with being a warrior and the ultimate fighter in the universe. Trunks wondered if Vegeta would ever surpass Gohan, if Chi-Chi remained dead set on Gohan hitting the books it was perfectly possible that he would.

Trunks programmed the time machine to return three weeks after he had left. His mother had explained that he would have to return after to the present the same amount of time he had been gone for, just incase him being three weeks older despite only a day passing caused problems.

Not for the first time, if his mother had managed to survive the three weeks he'd have to be gone for. He knew this fear was relatively unfounded or as unfounded as it could be when two killer androids were running amuck. The androids hadn't ever really bothered West city, unless there had been attempts at rebuilding the damage they had caused. After the first three tries people had stopped trying, the androids had always found out so what was the point. His mother had been able to hide underground during the attacks on the city so even if they did attack then there would be still a rather good chance she'd survive.

Trunks cast another glance at the surrounding people, they were his friends and he would never see them again. He felt again that desire to stay and damn the future. his mother herself had said that she felt that there was nothing else they could do for that world, so why help it? A wave of guilt washed over him. How could he have thought such a thing? He knew his mother had said that because she believed he'd never be strong enough to beat both the androids. She could never know that by coming to the past he would come back with five times as much power.

Without looking at the people around him he pressed button for the ignition along with a few others to set the time machine into motion. From this point there was no turning back the time machine was automatic after it was set. Now he was safe to look at the people below, one last look. They were all waving, except his father of course, his eyes merely followed the time machine's progress. Gohan and his mother were waving with two arms and both were practically windmilling their arms were moving so fast. They were acting like it was a competition to see who could say the best goodbye.

Trunks made his own wave back to the group on the ground. He spent most of this time looking at his father, he knew he'd miss him and that was the thing that had made leaving the most difficult. The knowledge that he was going to a future without his father was hard but in the end it wasn't as hard as leaving his mother to eventually die when Cell woke up and absorbed the androids and finishing of his two course meal by destroying the earth. Still he had grown to understand the man, who he had at first been so horrified to meet. He was a man of honor and pride, he fought because as a saiyan he was expected to be a warrior and as a prince of the sayians he was supposed to be the strongest of them all.

After a few moments the people below, the garden of Capsule Corp, the building itself and all the views of West city vanished into black.

Trunks didn't really know what this place was, all he knew was that everytime he'd gone to the past he'd ended up here before appearing at his destination. The first time this had happened he'd been worried that something had gone horribly wrong and spent the twenty seconds or so in a bit of panic. This time however he simply waited for Capsule Corp to reappear.

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So there is Chapter one, though I feel it's more of a prologue (not much of a fan of epilogues so don't expect me to do many) so it's possible that I've just lied to you. I have already begun work on chapter 2, and plan to have it finished soon.

 **Reviews are welcome and critical views are welcome but please no abuse, I can tell you you'd be just wasting you time as it will never see the website. ;) (let's hope my first ever review isn't some torrent of abuse)**

At the end of the next chapter I will be posting power levels so as to leave a rough understanding of what I am working with when describing any fights and such.


	2. A Whole New World

No Way Home

Summary: Trunks returns to the future to discover that he has returned to a world that has differed greatly from his own. Lost no answers and unable to find a way home to his future he must make sense of this strange new world.

Disclaimer: Don't own Dbz and it's characters. Just making a bit of reading.

This is my first attempt at a Fanfiction, but I very much hope you will enjoy it.

The pairing will of course be Trunks/18 and if people would like to submit their thoughts, suggestions and opinions I would of course be honored if you'd spare the time.

Allow me to apologize for some of the grammatical errors in the prologue, I will be sorting them out as quick as possible but I got a little over excited and posted it before it was fully ready, I have combed this chapter much more thoroughly and any errors present will be through my sheer inability to see through my own work, thanks for reading :)

And FanFiction I hate the way you include author's notes as part of the word count, it makes me feel like I'm cheating on the word count of my History investigation all over again.

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White light exploded all around the time machine, the world materialized through the blackness. Trunks was home. His time in the past had been a strange set of episodes but he and the Z fighters had saved that world and now he had to save his own.

West City was much the same as it had always been. As far as Trunks could remember the city had been a ruin. The miss matched nature of the destruction revealing the unnatural way it had been destroyed. Even the beauty of the setting sun could do nothing to better the view of crumbled buildings and miscellaneous rubble piled throughout the once lively streets. Trunks couldn't help but feel miserable looking at it. Having been to the past, he had seen what the city had once been and to see what it was now, a broken forest of concrete, ripped at Trunks' heart.

How could anyone have wanted to change the vibrant and thriving West City into this desolate wasteland? Trunks knew the answer to that, it was a stupid question, those damn androids did! They had made happiness and harmony an impossibility in their quest for domination and destruction. Trunks had lived trough many hard years of dodging and diving android attacks, and to think back on them always brought him nightmares. The Androids had made him feel like an insect whenever they tortured him for their sadistic amusement.

Now though he had the power to stop them. Things were going to be different next time he met one of the androids. Trunks was going to make sure of it.

An uncomfortable sense of unease came over Trunks as he put the time machine back in it's capsule. Something just wasn't right. It was coming from the planet itself, the energy around him was off. He didn't know what had changed but the energy from the planet was somehow different to what he remembered. Looking around him again Trunks couldn't see anything that seemed out of place; but still a nagging feeling that something wasn't quite as it should be clung to Trunks' subconscious, like he was trying to tell himself something.

Trunks shrugged it off knowing that he could work it out later, the first thing he wanted to do was look for his mother and tell her everything that had happened.

Walking through the front door caused Trunks to gasp in horror. The house, his home was a derelict. It just made no sense, he had been gone for three weeks yet the building he was standing in had clearly been empty for years. Layers of dust were coating every inch of every surface, the door frames had rotted leaving most of the doors hanging by a thread, the walls were covered in damp, wallpaper peeling away from the wall, where the adhesive paste had been unable to keep a hold of it.

Trunks just couldn't understand it, he had first thought that he had made a mistake with the time machine and came back much later than he had intended. But that didn't explain why everything in the house was outdated by at least 15 years. There were things in this house that his mother had gotten rid of years ago and once he had started recognising things his mother had thrown out years previously he felt winded as memories flooded through his mind. The blue sofa that had been replaced when Trunks had gotten a rather nasty blackcurrant juice stain imbedded in the fabric. The dining table that had lost all of it's legs when Gohan had jumped on it after being yelled at by Trunks' mother when he'd started describing what the androids were like to a 5 year old Trunks. The rooms looked exactly the same as they had in the past Trunks had visited, only they were neglected and abandoned.

Even his bedroom had not lost its crib and the toy box lay open with toys scattered everywhere, clearly there had been no one to pick them up in the last twenty years. He clearly had come to the future their was no mistaking it. This much decay would've taken a long time for it to set in. But how had the future changed? His mother had said that the future was going to remain the same not change. Plus he had returned to the future after he had given Goku the heart medicine. Perhaps Trunks had made a mistake programming the time machine and come to some other timeline? Was that possible? how could he have moved outside his own timeline and that of the alternate timeline? True he had originally went to another timeline but he had made that timeline by going into the past, so his time machine had become a two way pass to that timeline, or so his mother had told him. She had said as long as he went back after he had first arrived and returned after he had left he could travel there and. Otherwise he would have been creating multiple timelines which could have meant he eventually got trapped and unable to return to his mother.

If he were to travel from the past and only went 15 years into the future he would most likely arrive in the future of the alternate timeline, and once done returning to his home would be impossible, Or so his mom had said. Trunks knew why she'd said this, so that he wouldn't be tempted to try to go to when Gohan had died and save him. He was grateful for her warning as he most certainly would have tried if he hadn't known what he'd be doing.

Leaving to return the same amount of time as he had spent in the past had been another idea of his mother's, 'Just in case it matters.' She had told him. He knew she had other ideas as to the complexities of time travel but when asked she had said that it was 'best you don't worry about it, just do as I tell you and you'll have the best chance of coming home.' She had laughed it off, but Trunks had seen she was really worried about possible consequences. He had vowed to follow her every order after that conversation.

And a fat lot of good that had done him. Here he was, with no idea what was going on, in a house that looked like even ghosts would deem it uninhabitable, and he was unable to tell what he should do.

How Trunks wished his mother was here!

Where was she? Was she alive in this world? While she may not be his mother, he needed her if he was ever going to free his future he had tried to save. Plus she would be the only one who could explain what this world was like and how it differed from those he knew.

For Trunks saving his world had been the only point of going to the past. The first time his mother had explained how time travel would work, and how she expected their world would stay the same, he had been furious. It was one of the few times he had said angry words to his mother. So what if people from twenty years ago got peaceful lives if in the here and now there would be no change. in the end it had been the prospect of meeting his father and the legendary Goku that had swung it for him to return. After all what boy doesn't dream of meeting the father they never knew and to meet a man his master respected above all others was an opportunity he didn't want to miss. He'd even harboured hopes that they would be able to help him get stronger so that he could defeat the androids. First in the past and then in his time.

How was he to save his world if he wasn't even in his own world and what could he do if he didn't have the one person who would help him to figure the world out? His mother, the one who had always provided the answers when he got lost and didn't know what to do. And knowing that chances were; in this world she was dead made Trunks more afraid than he had ever been in his life.

This fear of life without his mother was unimaginably worse than anything the Androids could've made him feel. He felt lost without her, she'd always been there to save his world from falling into despair. She who would hold his hand when he felt frightened or give him a hug when he was upset. She who had forced him to keep on going when Gohan had died and Trunks had given up all hope of ever defeating the Androids. She was why he was still alive after his fights with the Androids. Without her Trunks felt as helpless as a child, he was naked in a snow storm.

But Trunks had to carry on. he couldn't stop. He refused to believe he was stuck wherever he was. His first step would have to be to recharge the time machine, He'd need to know the data it would tell him, without it he'd be walking blindly taking random shots in the dark as to where he was and Trunks couldn't plan how to get home if he didn't know where exactly he was.

How was he going to recharge the time machine though? He'd have to make a charging port, but how? Trunks had no plans to build from and the port would have to be an exact match to the one used by his mother or it would be futile. And if the Bulma of this timeline was gone, he had no chance to find blueprints to a port here in this world. Perhaps if he took a look at the plans to the time machine (his mother had insisted he take them in case the machine broke) he would find some answers to the charging port. There had to be some clue in them...

Then, before he could work out his plans, he felt massive power surge not too far away from West City. The horrible energy rocked through him bringing all his nerves to the boil. He knew instantly who it was; Cell.

Though Trunks could feel the energy he couldn't believe it was really him. How could Cell be here? Surely Cell hadn't completed his growth yet. Trunks should've had a couple of years before Cell was walking the Earth, what was going on here?

Trunks was moving as soon as he'd registered the ki, there was no mistaking something that evil. Flying towards the power he hoped he could get some sort of answers from somewhere, clearly wherever he was his mother was almost certainly dead and without her he was unlikely to be able reboot the time machine to try and find out where he was and how he'd gotten there. In short he was stuck in a world he didn't belong.

However at this moment Trunks couldn't let his. crisis affect him, not yet. First he had to deal with Cell. Judging from his power level he was already in his second form and that meant that he needed to make sure the other one wasn't absorbed or he and this world were finished. He put as much energy as he could into his flight making sure to keep his eyes peeled for signs of where the remaining android was, a task made difficult as the sun had long since set.

However even the darkening sky couldn't hide the scene the two androids played out. It had only taken a minute to find them. But he could see immediately that a minute had been cutting it closer than Trunks would've liked.

Android 18 stood battered and bruised barely able to stand as Cell approached her his tail tail twitching as he walked. He was toying with her, it was the only reason Trunks had been able to get there before Cell had achieved his perfect form. A small swell of relief bubbled inside his stomach before he forced himself to focus on the task at hand.

'Well my dear 18, your seventeen year long goose chase is finally over. I hope it was worth it. It certainly was for me.' Cell's bellowing howls reached Trunks even at this distance. 18 shivered at the noise and her eyes closed in defeat.

As Trunks got closer he saw the Android was slumping in on herself, her unlimited energy unable to keep her body from succumbing to the damage she had taken.

Trunks had to act, he knew Cell was ready he had clearly delayed his gratification long enough that he would become impatient if he waited too much longer. He would act soon taking the power he felt was his destiny and Trunks had to be ready. As Trunks watched Cell's tail whipped like a cobra preparing to strike. It was obscene the way his tail hung over his shoulder, it made him look like a strange scorpion. the strange stinger designed for absorption then opened into a wide gaping hole, big enough for a human, or more appropriately an android, to fit inside.

Trunks flew at Cell and, with the element of surprise, his kick sent Cell flying, his body crashed through a mountain's side with enough force that the entire mountain broke into many large pieces on top of him. With Cell's guard down Trunks' normal state was strong enough to at least make Cell sting a little.

'I hope you enjoyed today Cell!' Trunks shouted confidently, landing in between 18 and Cell, Trunks took up a protective stance, leaving no opening for the green giant to get at her. 'Because today is the day you go to hell.'

Cell emerged from the rubble, with a scream of indignation and his eyes burned with fury. 'How dare you! You insolent little punk!'

Trunks smirked back at him. An arrogant confidence radiating from him.

18 had opened her eyes now, and upon seeing Trunks her eyes had bugged out of her skull. 'Trunks!' She exclaimed in shock.

Trunks whirled and stared back at her, both had an expression of bewilderment on their faces. For Trunks it was the shock of hearing her use his name. 18 had never called him by his name. His name had been a dignity she deemed too good for him, she had always called him by snide or sardonic names. Her favourites being 'little guy', 'tough guy' and 'blondie'. All designed to make him feel inferior. Yet here she was saying his name as if it had regularly fallen off her lips.

Cell interrupted their private staring contest. 'I hate to break up this little lovers reunion. But I must ask how are you alive Trunks? And more importantly why you are interfering with my date with miss 18?'

'Well as for the first question I'm not a hundred percent sure on the details myself, but I doubt it'll matter to you once your dead. And as for your date, well... My mother always said I lacked tact.' Trunks smirked wider, knowing that the monster would hate it.

Clearly this Cell had killed this world's Trunks which would explain 18's shock at seeing him, though not why 18 seemed to think he had a right to be called by his name.

'I see, well correct me if I'm wrong but I do believe you have just inferred your going to kill me, I have to ask... how you plan to do this? Last time we fought you couldn't even turn into a super saiyan. Have you now got some great mystic powers to kill me with?' Cell was clearly trying to toy with him now, a new addition to the game of cat and mouse. 'I mean if I kill you now that'll make it three nil to me, won't it?'

'Wait what?' Trunks asked, that had made no sense, three nil?

'Well I have already killed you twice, once in my world and once in this, both times you were woefully under my skills. What makes you think you can fair any better this time? Are you hoping for divine intervention? you know what they say, third time's the charm.' Cell smirked broadly, his rage had settled down now, his confidence being that the new addition to the game would make it more fun, rather than ruin it.

'How are we going to get away from him?' Asked 18 in a low and desperate voice, keen not to be overheard.

'Well android, you can run when we start fighting don't want to risk him getting you and getting too strong, do we? As for me I'm going to kill him.' He was calm and wasn't bothered if Cell heard him knew that he had no problems killing Cell, and he doubted the android would ignore the chance to run. He doubted she'd believe him if this world's Trunks wasn't even a super saiyan from what Cell had just said.

She didn't disappoint.

'What are you talking about? You can't beat him! You can't even lay a finger on me! Never mind him.' She sounded concerned, probably for her own survival.

'Aww... is the big bad android concerned by the thought of little Trunks getting hurt?' Trunks mocked unkindly.

'Why are you calling me android?' 18 snapped back at him, he had clearly upset her, which had been his intent but what he was surprised to see was the hurt in her eyes as he glanced back at her. He'd expected her to be angry not hurt. Why is she getting all emotional at me?

'Well you are an android, that's why I'm calling you one.' Trunks replied bemused. 'Just hide out of sight will you, and I'll take care of the bug breath, okay?'

He didn't wait to see If she was going to comply as he turned back to Cell. He was standing tall, green and ugly, just as Trunks had seen him when he emerged from the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. His face was relaxed and a smirk was playing at the edge of his lips, he stood relaxed and confident as he and Trunks locked eyes. The confidence was surely a by-product of having killed two different versions of Trunks.

'You want to see my mystic power as you call it?' Trunks asked, a smirk yet again playing at his lips, as he imagined Cell's coming look of fear. Trunks clenched his muscles in preparation for the fight to come. He could feel the anticipation rising, hanging around his father and Goku and his fight with Freeza had made him enjoy the fight more than he ever had before. Perhaps because he wasn't being beaten up and humiliated half as often in the past.

'Why yes of course. It would be most interesting to see why you can suddenly stand there with an arrogance to rival your father's. Of course it won't do you any good, no matter what you've learned you're still no match for me.' Cell bragged. Trunks wasn't scared in the least, Cell's words actually amused him. They were same ones Freeza had used when Trunks had told him he was going to kill him. Trunks' only worry was 18 getting herself absorbed and dooming everyone. He was quite confident he'd be able to prevent that though, it was his father's interventions that had been the main reason Cell had got 18 in the past.

'Okay Cell I'll show you.' Trunks said quietly. 'But just remember you asked for this.'

Trunks clenched his fists and focused on the energy hidden within him. Trunks was feeling out his rage, the source of a super saiyan's power. Once he could feel it his power begin to smolder. The agonized rage he'd felt when Gohan had been killed was the key. Each saiyan's trigger was different, just as each saiyan was different. Rage was the key but each person's transformation was triggered by different types of rage. Trunks had to remember his anger and pain that day; at the androids, at himself, at life itself and his all consuming rage would do the rest.

As he latched onto his rage and focused on it, the world began to shake, and the sky began to crackle with electricity.

'Aaaaaaaaaaargh!' Trunks screamed, his mind lost in the unfairness that he'd been forced to bare. His energy swirling into flames inside him, boiling and simmering Just below the surface; before Trunks felt the snap and his rage become a towering inferno.

'YAAARRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!' Trunks' energy exploded outwards; becoming a golden fireball, it caused the world beneath his feet to shake more violently now. He heard 18 collapse behind him and she sucked in her breath in shock, fear and fatigue. The mountains all around began to crumble with the force of the energy emitting from Trunks. The ground underneath him cracked and lumps, big and small, rose into the air; his screams reaching a Crescendo as the golden flames settled around him.

Having reached his peak. Trunks' screams slowly subsided into heavy breaths as he tried to gain back the oxygen he'd lost while transforming. With a final 'Humph' of effort the rocks went flying smashing into all the mountains for miles around and causing those still standing from his original transformation to break and fall with the power that had propelled the rocks. Those that flew at Cell disintegrated as they came within his own powerful aura. Cell's expression turned hard as he stared fixated on Trunks, clearly left unsure at the power Trunks had displayed.

Eventually the world quieted again leaving only the burning sound of Trunks' new aura. Though unable to see himself, Trunks had seen himself in the mirror as a super saiyan before to know the imposing figure he cut. His hair was a deep gold and had spiked upwards, to the right and left in a symmetrical mess, the only time his hair looked like that of his saiyan brethren. Then their was the aura that surrounded him, the golden ring of flames revealing his god like power. But these paled in comparison to his eyes. His eyes had turned from their royal blue to turquoise and losing their pupil, when looking at them all an enemy could see was a deep well of rage, many an enemy could be beaten just by looking into those pitiless eyes.

When Trunks had looked in the mirror while transformed for the first time, his eyes had frightened him. Yes he had seen Gohan's eyes but this felt different. Perhaps because they were his and he could feel the anger below the surface as he fought to maintain his own sense of reason. They had been hard and unforgiving, they revealed the true nature of the saiyans, the warriors of unrivalled power. His father might of said he was no sayian, but Trunks couldn't believe him having seen those eyes.

'Do you like it?' Trunks asked, his voice had gained an edge of menace to it now. He could feel 18's eyes focused on the back of his head she was clearly mesmerized by his new powers, he hoped she'd enjoy the show, because when he was finished with Cell, she was next.

'Oh well this certainly is impressive, first you come back from the dead and then you transform into a super saiyan as if you've been doing it for years.' Cell smiled, it was his most mocking and deadly smile. 'Shame you had to waste this new power on getting yourself killed.'

'For all your cunning Cell you really are quite dense I stand here with quite a bit more power than you and you still think I'm the one going to die?' Trunks sneered.

Cell cocked his head slightly, clearly confused. 'You... Stronger than me? I doubt that. But let's see you prove it.'

Trunks smiled, now he was going to get to take out all his frustrations at the mess he found himself in. He propelled himself forward, moving several times faster than any bullet could, he rammed his fist straight into the giant androids stomach. The monster grunted in pain, his legs bending slightly at the force of the blow, causing his head and neck to fold onto Trunks shoulder. 'Does that prove it?' Trunks asked in mock concern.

Cell bellowed in rage throwing a fist straight at Trunks' head. Trunks saw the blow with plenty of time, he didn't even need his full speed. He leaned back so as to avoid the blow. He fell into a crab position and pushing up with his hands he sent his foot flying into Cell's jaw. Cell flew backwards landing on his back 50 feet away.

'How about now big guy?' Trunks taunted as he rubbed his hands together, feigning concern over the dirt on them. It was just one more way to anger the monster, he had noticed in the past the angrier Cell became the less cunning he was. It was a fatal flaw that Trunks would make him pay.

'What...! you fool you think you're stronger than me?' Cell snarled. His body quivering in rage.

' _not so happy now, are we Cell?_ ' Trunks thought smug in this small victory. He cast a quick glance at the other android present and noticed she was still on her haunches unable to move. 18's eyes were wide as they met Trunks'. her mouth gaping open in disbelief at the obvious ease with which Trunks had bested Cell in their last exchange.

Turning his attention back to Cell Trunks said 'I don't think anything... I know.'

The veins in Cell's temple where pulsing as he looked at Trunks. 'I'll show you! You're nothing but an insect!'

'Says the green bug thing.' Retorted Trunks.

'I'll teach you not to mock me!' Cell screamed. He was clearly coming towards the end of his tether and with that he'd lose all reason.

The monster charged his eyes filled with hatred. he wasn't planning on any warm ups in this fight, that was good, Trunks wasn't ether.

Cell charged pulling his fist back as he did so. Throwing it forwards he hit Trunks full in the face. Cell eyes widened in surprise as Trunks stood firm, his head didn't even move as the android hit him. Trunks' face was set in a expression of calm fury.

Cell backed away slowly 'Who are you? Your not Trunks! You can't be! Trunks was an insect compared to me. I killed two versions of him with minimal effort!'

Trunks took a small step towards Cell, causing the later to take a step back. 'No I'm Trunks' Trunks told Cell. 'Or at least I'm not the Trunks you knew, I am not from this world, but I guess it doesn't matter, not to you anyway. Because your nothing compared to me.'

'What do you mean? You're not from this world!' Cell shouted, his fury was clearly about to get the best of him. Trunks saw him cast a glance at 18, clearly wishing he hadn't toyed with her.

'Oh yes if you had her you could defeat me easily... But you don't have her. And without her,' Trunks paused looking at Cell so that he would fully understand what he was about to say, 'you have no chance of surviving this encounter.' Trunks promised.

'HOW DARE YOU!' Cell was beside himself. 'I AM CELL! NO ONE IS STRONGER THAN ME!'

Trunks was done playing now, he had nothing more to say to the menace. It was time to truly unleash the fury of a super saiyan. Trunks wouldn't risk the android being absorbed by toying with Cell.

Trunks' energy flowed through him as he charged at Cell. Trunks' speed meant he was half way towards the monster before Cell realized he'd moved, all Cell could do was widen his eyes before Trunks buried his foot into the green giant's gut. Coughing and spluttering up blood, Cell was unable to take in or even comprehend Trunks' offensive, before Trunks used his other foot sending it crashing into the underside of Cell's jaw. Trunks saw that Cell was still in a daze, unable to center himself and certainly unable to keep sight of Trunks. Trunks kicked off the ground, the earth beneath his feet cracking and collapsing in on itself. Racing towards Cell Trunks started gathering his energy between his hands preparing for his final strike.

Cell had a moment where he had completely orientated himself, his eyes bulging like balloons as he saw Trunks hovering next to him, the energy in his hands had formed into one massive ball and was pointing, point blank, into Cell's face.

'NO! Wait...!' Cell cried, before he was enveloped in the wave of yellow energy.

Cell screamed in defiance. He attempted to break free of the energy that was engulfing him but he had far too little power to even budge. Trunks watched as Cell's body became smaller and smaller, Trunks kept pumping energy into the blast, if he didn't Cell might regenerate.

The blast faded leaving no sign of the monster. Everything was silent now apart from the sounds of Trunks' aura flittering in the night air.

* * *

 **Power Level Guide** (for those who are involved in the story of course )

 **Android 18: ?** (keeping this secret for now, but safe to say it's lower than Cell's)

 **Trunks: 200,350,252 (Base)/ 1,021,400,170**

 **Semi Perfect Cell: 760,840,020**

I have given them random numbers (other than the first 3 or 4 digits) cos I find it stupid that all power level guides have things like 125,000,000 as if it would be an exact number, so I thought I'd be nice to have a bit of disorder in the numbers (I'll pay for this later when I have to make all the power levels correspond in each chapter, unless there is a change in power of course, but even still :/)

This chapter was meant to include a little more, but I got so into the descriptions of the SSJ transformation and Trunks' arrival that I felt it was best to cut this chapter and run where I did, I personally feel it's a nice moment to end and probably better than where I had originally intended so all's well that ends well.

On the SSJ transformation I tried to do it justice but, I just feel that I can't put into words how I'd want it, it's a very visual thing I think but I gave it ago.

Thanks for reading and I appreciate all the people who have decided to follow this story. Please leave me some opinions as you think of them, it would mean a lot. :)

The next chapter may take a little longer to put up as I want to really plan the rest of the story and so I'm not ruining it by flying off on tangents everywhere, I knew before starting where I wanted to start and having thought about it I'm now pretty sure where I want to finish this story, but the truth is I need to work out how to get there, or this story will end up like so many other Fanfics great premise that gets lost in the padding and lack of character development.


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